Carolina Panthers lose all leverage in Robbie Anderson trade saga

The Carolina Panthers lost all leverage in trading Robbie Anderson after the wide receiver was sent to the locker room in Week 6 at the Los Angeles Rams. 

Matt Rhule might be gone. But it appears as if the Carolina Panthers are still imploding if their efforts in Week 6 are any indication.

There was never going to be a dramatic turnaround overnight. And offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo’s scheme coupled with almost no confidence in P.J. Walker to move the chains once again provided the catalyst to another dismal loss.

In truth, the game was a sideshow in the second half. This was down to Robbie Anderson and a clear difference of opinions with the coaching staff that resulted in the wide receiver being sent to the locker room midway through the third quarter.

Robbie Anderson’s time with the Carolina Panthers could be over

Anderson got into it with wide receivers coach Joe Dailey first. The former Temple standout stepped into his face for the opening altercation that was swiftly followed by a spell sitting alone on the sidelines.

Then, things got worse.

Anderson wasn’t done jawing at Dailey. Something that drew the ire of interim head coach Steve Wilks, who promptly removed the wideout from the equation and into the locker room.

The official word from Carolina was that Anderson had an elbow injury. But judging by his reaction when asked to leave, that couldn’t be anything further from the truth.

It’s been a difficult week for Anderson. The veteran saw his former college coach and a man he owes a great deal to fired when David Tepper pulled the plug on Rhule, which was followed by a leaked report indicating the Panthers were willing to move him on via trade before the deadline.

Anderson has reportedly drawn interest but the Panthers are holding out for the right price. However, all leverage in any talks has now been lost due to Sunday’s events.

The Panthers have now gone from potentially maximizing Anderson’s trade value to facing the prospect of getting what they can and moving on. Something that might see more teams involve themselves in pursuit of securing another weapon.

There’s no doubt Anderson has every right to be frustrated. Carolina’s offense under McAdoo is beyond anemic and this is having a widespread impact on the team’s primary pass-catchers.

However, there is a better way to go about things. And it might be the last anyone sees of Anderson in a Panthers uniform.

Things could happen pretty quickly this week. A concerning injury to Randall Cobb might see the Green Bay Packers make their play, with numerous other potential destinations also not that hard to find.

The Panthers aren’t going anywhere this season. It’s a bad football product and they can ill afford Anderson becoming a complication on or off the field given how difficult things appear right now.

Anderson would no doubt welcome a change of scenery. But in truth, his production just hasn’t been up to the required standard following a 2020 season that earned him his lucrative contract extension.

This is becoming a better end to the relationship between Anderson and the Panthers. One that could soon be at an end.